‘Awesome’ training gallops point to Fabian Hawk being big improver at Otaki on Friday

After a month of galloping in awesome style, trainer Peter Didham is expect a much improved performance from Fabian Hawk ($12, $3.80) at Otaki on Friday.

One of the finds of winter racing last year, the five-year-old has yet to strike form in three runs this season but it was in the fourth run of his prep this time last year that he really hit the headlines with a seven length win at Awapuni.

That trouncing came in his first try at a middle distance but the key factor was the state of the track, a heavy 10, and those are the conditions he’ll strike at Otaki.

Didham isn’t surprised the Hawk hasn’t won yet this term racing on good 4, soft 7 and soft 6 ground.

“We know he’s best in heavy ground and he always takes a bit of getting ready. But he’s pretty fit now. He galloped enormous on the poly last Saturday and was good on the grass at Foxton on Tuesday.

“And now that he’s got his heavy 10 ground he needs to show something.”

Didham admits he was a bit disappointed in Fabian Hawk’s last two runs when ninth at Wanganui and eighth at Woodville.

“He was average at Wanganui but coughed afterwards and we think he either swallowed his tongue or some dirt.

“I was away when ran at Woodville when he tracked into it beautifully. I’d have been happier if he’d run third or fourth but the soft track wasn’t that bad.

Kavish Chowdhoory rides Fabian Hawk.“His gallops tell me he’s starting to front up now and though it’s a big, even field he should run on the pace and keep kicking.”

Didham has engaged Canterbury jockey Kavish Chowdhoory for Fabian Hawk and his choice of Warren Kennedy for stablemate Far Site ($5 favourite) signals his strong hand on the Raukawa Cup.

“She should be really hard to beat too. It was only soft last time at Otaki when she ran fifth.”

The seven-year-old mare is a five-time winner in heavy ground, and a dual winner at Otaki.